Hunting for a Good Cause

In parts of Arkansas, big buck contests are a tradition every deer hunting season, encouraging hunters to hunt larger and older deer, supporting healthy competition and often providing funds for a local charity.

So, when Randall Bowman, a service technician at Arkansas Oklahoma Gas and a hunter for 20 years, bagged a nice 10-point buck this past February, he decided to challenge his co-workers — most of them hunters too — to a little friendly competition for a good cause.

That cause was Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana. When Bowman’s daughter was born, she was a preemie, barely weighing 2 pounds, and she spent four months in the neonatal intensive care unit. Although Bowman and his family ultimately didn’t need the services of RMH, the house and all its amenities for families with children receiving long-term hospital care stuck with him. “They walked me through, and I thought it was amazing,” he said. “When we were trying to think of somewhere to donate the money to, I immediately thought of them, and everybody agreed it was a really great idea.”

Bowman said putting on the contest was simple. He created flyers, and co-workers signed up and registered with one of his supervisors. The contest fee was $20, and the money would be split between the winner and RMH. Hunters submitted photos of their deer to qualify. “We didn’t score the buck,” said Bowman. (Scoring involves measuring a deer’s antlers to determine size, symmetry and trophy quality.) “It was pretty obvious one guy won.”

The winner was Col Browder, AOG construction technician II, who generously chose to donate his winnings to Ronald McDonald House, ensuring that 100% of the proceeds raised would help families in need. The two men visited RMH personally to donate a $230 check. They received a tour and met Archie, the RMH campus dog and official “Director of Goodness.”

Hunting season kicks off in late September and runs through the end of February. The first contest got a late start, but Bowman began working on the 2026 contest in June, with a goal of raising much more for RMH by having the contest run for the full five months of the season.

While this was the first time Bowman had ever organized a fundraiser like this, he plans to keep it going. The contest also dovetails with parent company Summit Utilities’ culture of charitable giving, which includes grants to local nonprofits and paid volunteer time off every year for employees.

“It just brings our communities closer,” added Bowman. “It was a lot of fun, too, and I know I got a lot closer with people in other departments who I never talked to before. I have started thinking of other things we could do, too. I think every year it’s going to get better and better.”